Eric Gray is still on the Giants’ roster, but his grip on a job looks awfully thin.
The fourth-year running back has somehow hung around in New York despite offering almost nothing through three seasons. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan pointed that out while going through every Giants offensive player, noting that Gray, a 2023 fifth-round pick, is entering his fourth season with the club after producing very little.
Gray missed most of last season while recovering from a knee injury and appeared in four games, but he never got a touch on offense. His only work came as a punt returner, and one of those returns went for 26 yards.
“It’s hard to believe Gray is entering his fourth season with the Giants, considering how little [he] has produced in his first three seasons,” Duggan wrote.
The bigger question is why he’s still there at all. Gray’s first two seasons produced just 2.5 yards per carry, and he has fumbled six times in 34 games. Even with that track record, Brian Daboll never seemed to hit a breaking point.
There’s also no clear path for Gray to climb back into the mix. Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo are on rookie deals, and Devin Singletary’s contract restructure makes him look like a strong bet to make the Week 1 roster.
The Giants also added undrafted rookie Damon Bankston this spring. Bankston put up 1,032 yards from scrimmage at Northwestern, including 635 rushing yards and 397 receiving yards, after previously playing at FCS Weber State, where he ran for 1,259 yards and 27 touchdowns on 5.9 yards per attempt over 51 games.
Even if the Giants take an injury hit at running back, Gray still hasn’t shown enough to be part of the rotation.
That doesn’t mean the story is closed. A strong training camp and preseason could still give Gray a chance to change the conversation, whether that’s with the Giants or somewhere else. And if Daboll, now the Titans’ offensive coordinator, were asked about him, he might still be willing to vouch for Gray making either a 53-man roster or a practice squad.
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